WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, his office confirmed on Friday.
They have held six meetings since Trump returned to office last year, with their most recent talks taking place on February 11 in Washington.
The upcoming meeting comes amid growing tensions over the handling of the war with Iran, with differences between Netanyahu and Trump occasionally becoming public.
“As part of the visit, the prime minister will meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday and attend the funeral service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a friend of Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that he would depart for Washington on Monday.
Netanyahu has often described Trump as “the greatest friend” Israel ever had in the White House.
However, their alliance has shown signs of strain in recent months, particularly over differences on whether to continue military pressure on Iran or pursue a diplomatic resolution.
Relations between Netanyahu and Trump reached a low point in April during negotiations over an initial US-Iran ceasefire.
Trump seeking to ease hostilities in Lebanon
Trump had been seeking to ease hostilities in Lebanon, where Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah had emerged as a key obstacle in the Iran negotiations.
However, hours before a ceasefire agreement was signed, Netanyahu launched new strikes, prompting a public rebuke from Trump and further exposing tensions between the two allies.
“Are you f-ing crazy? What are you f-ing doing? I helped you stay out of jail,” Trump said he told Netanyahu during a tense exchange, according to an interview with the New York Post.
Trump later described Netanyahu as a “very difficult guy” in another interview.
Netanyahu played down the disagreements as “tactical differences,” saying the two leaders remained aligned on broader objectives, including disarming Hezbollah and preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu’s visit comes months before Israeli national elections in which he plans to seek another term.
Mamdani says New York has no authority to arrest Netanyahu
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday that his administration does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court warrant if he visits the city.
Mamdani said his office had reviewed all available legal options but concluded that New York City could not independently enforce the warrant.
My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here,” Mamdani said in a video message posted on social media.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does,” he said, urging Washington to act.
Also Read: Mamdani Says New York Has No Authority to Arrest Netanyahu
The ICC issued the warrant in 2024, saying it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s offensive in Gaza after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that Netanyahu would not face arrest if he attended the United Nations General Assembly summit in New York in September.
